It moved over the Indian Ocean, intensifying to a Category 4 cyclone, and eventually crossed the Pilbara coast just east of Port Hedland at peak intensity.

Initial forecasts depicted the low as moving gradually eastward and becoming a significant cyclone over the Gulf of Carpentaria; however, after approaching Milingimbi Island on 1 March, the system doubled back to the west in response to a subtropical ridge over central Australia.

[1] Owing to favourable upper-level outflow and decreasing wind shear, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert for the system that day.

[1] George quickly intensified once offshore, with a very small banding eye of approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) in diameter appearing on SSMI satellite imagery,[2][5] and gained winds of 95 km/h (60 mph) by 18:00 UTC (3:00 a.m. AWST on 4 March).

[4] Substantial structural degradation took place over land, with the eye feature dissipating,[2] and the BOM estimated the system to have briefly weakened to a tropical low before emerging over the extreme eastern Indian Ocean late on 4 March.

[1] Over the following few days, most forecast models indicated that George would gradually turn to the south as it rounded the subtropical ridge and possibly strike areas between Exmouth and Onslow by 9 March.

Of these factors, the monsoonal flow was determined to have been the main cause in the poor track forecast as models did not capture the degree of influence of these winds on the cyclone.

[1] The favourable condition allowed for an increase in both strength and size, with both the BOM and JTWC estimating the cyclone to have attained hurricane-force winds by 12:00 UTC (8:00 pm.

[3][4][nb 1] By early on 8 March, George featured an area of gale-force winds spanning nearly 400 km (250 mi) across, significantly larger than average.

[1] As the eyewall moved over the island, a record-breaking ten-minute sustained wind speed of 194 km/h (121 mph) was measured, until it was surpassed by Cyclone Ilsa in 2023.

[7] Based on the extreme winds measured on Bedout and additional intensification thereafter, George was estimated to have reached its peak intensity at 12:00 UTC (8:00 pm.

[4] Automated Dvorak classifications from the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies at University of Wisconsin–Madison peaked at 6.8, equivalent to a high-end Category 4 on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale, as the storm moved ashore.

[9] Damaging wind gusts of 154 kilometres per hour (96 mph) were recorded at Port Hedland Airport weather station just before 11 pm.

People were additionally evacuated from low lying levels near the sea, and moved either to higher ground, or further inland to Cyclone Shelters.

[12] As a developing tropical low, George produced prolonged heavy, in some cases record-breaking, rain across much of Northern Territory in late February through early March.

According to resource analysts, the negative impacts of the flood in addition to lingering effects from Cyclone Monica in 2006 would result in a two percent decrease in the global supply of uranium by 2008.

[9] The cyclone's peak intensity of 902 hPa (26.64 inHg) with wind gusts of up to 285 kilometres per hour (177 mph) was estimated following Dvorak analysis of satellite imagery.

One death and the majority of the people injured occurred at a Fortescue Metals Group camp,[38] about 100 km (62.13 mi) south of Port Hedland.

[40] A third death occurred when a man who was transferred to a Perth hospital on 11 March died due to the injuries received when the cyclone hit at the Fortescue camp.

[16] A week after the floods, there was some concern over a delay in aid from the government; however, authorities assured that supplies would be provided in a timely manner once need assessments were complete.

[46] The Salvation Army began collecting supplies for the 90 people rendered homeless by 13 March with additional requests for assistance made to the Australian Red Cross.

[48] On 9 March, Prime Minister John Howard announced that persons injured by the storm or those whom lost their home would be eligible for funding through the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment program.

Mining companies, business, and residents all donated money to assist with the cause, and within 48 hours the town of Port Hedland was able to raise just over $520,000[50] BHP also helped recover Port Hedland by giving the local government $1 million each year which will fund for a large part of an enhancement scheme with the Western Australian State Government to improve the town's appearance.

Schools in South Hedland remained closed due to safety concerns about the damage caused by cyclones George and Jacob until 19 March, after the local community joined in a massive clean-up.

[51] In commemoration of the deaths that took place, the Fortescue Metals Group commissioned the McNally Newton Landscape Architects to construct a memorial in South Hedland.

[52] The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) launched a scathing attack on the Fortescue Metals Group, saying they were disgraced that no evacuation took place before the cyclone hit.

[41] Fortescue and its subsidiary the Pilbara Infrastructure (TPI) were charged with a combined 18 counts of failing to provide or maintain a safe workplace over Cyclone George and appeared in Perth Magistrates Court.